The National Football League (NFL) is moving quickly to reshape specific parts of its 2026 media package. With the NFL schedule release coming in just six weeks, league executives are attempting to finalize the resale of five games recently reacquired from The Walt Disney Company.
Those games returned to the league as part of a broader equity-driven agreement involving Disney-owned ESPN. Now, the NFL is exploring new distribution opportunities as it continues to refine its evolving broadcast strategy ahead of the 2026 season.
One notable shift will impact Monday night programming. The league plans to eliminate the Monday Night Football doubleheader format that had aired across ESPN and ABC. NFL executive vice president of media distribution Hans Schroeder acknowledged that while the concept was aimed as a positive for fans, it often created confusion.
“We thought adding two games on Monday night would be a great thing for fans,” said Schroeder. “I think we collectively struggled and realized fans felt like they were conflicted to choose between those games.”
Instead, the NFL appears focused on more streamlined presentation windows. That strategy extends into holiday programming, where the league is planning another Christmas Day tripleheader. Streaming giant Netflix is expected to carry two of those games, while FOX Sports will air the third. The FOX game likely will air in a primetime slot according to Schroeder who spoke via a conference call.
Timing remains critical for the league’s next steps. The resale of the five games must be completed before the NFL’s schedule release, traditionally held in mid-May. That event unveils team matchups. It also assigns broadcast partners, making it a key deadline for finalizing media deals.
Beyond immediate scheduling changes, the NFL continues to position itself for long-term flexibility. Upcoming opt-out clauses in its core media rights agreements could unlock billions in additional revenue while allowing the league to adapt to a rapidly shifting media landscape.
Last month, CNBC reported that negotiations between the NFL and CBS are reportedly intensifying. Both the league and Paramount Global are exploring a revised agreement. A new deal would extend the network’s long-standing Sunday afternoon broadcast package while dramatically increasing its annual rights fee.
According to CNBC’s Alex Sherman last month, discussions between league officials and executives from CBS and its parent company are centering on a potential price increase that could raise the network’s yearly payment by roughly 50–60 percent.
The current agreement averages about $2.1 billion per year for the Sunday afternoon slate of games. That means a revised deal could push CBS’s annual commitment past $3 billion if negotiations reach the midpoint of those projections
As negotiations continue, the NFL’s latest moves underscore a balancing act between innovation and reach.
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